Reinforced elastic foundation garment



6, 1968 M. LAGUZZI 3,395,712

REINFORCED ELASTIC FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed May 9, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

WWW

Aug. 6, 1968 M. LAGUZZI 3,395,712

REINFORCED ELASTIC FOUNDATION GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 9. 1967 FIG. 7

a y mm. 8 4

INVENTOR. .4/260224 4TTOEA/EYS.

United States Patent ice 3,395,712 REINFORCED ELASTIC FOUNDATION GARMENT Mario Laguzzi, Long Island City, N.Y., assignor to Poirette Corsets, Inc., New York, N.Y. Filed May 9, 1967, Ser. No. 637,258 13 Claims. (Cl. 128539) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A foundation garment characterized by multiple elastic panels having connected reverted edges defining double thickness reinforcing areas of generally X-shaped configuration overlying the abdomen of the wearer, and correspondingly connected reverted edges defining reinforcing areas of generally V-shaped configuration converging downwardly over the buttocks. The reinforcing strips so formed converge in width from the center of the garment toward the sides.

Background of the invention (1) Field of the inventi0n.This invention relates to elastic or partially elastic foundation garments, such as a girdle or panty girdle, and more particularly to such a garment comprised of a plurality of panels, preferably though not necessarily of two way stretch elastic, the panels having adjacent edge portions reverted to form internal reinforcing strips, the adjacent reinforced edges being stitched together to define front and rear portions of the garment, the reinforcing strips of the front sections being of substantially X-shape, while the reinforcing strips of the rear sections are of substantially V-shape.

(2) Description of the prior art-Applicant is aware that such garments comprised of a plurality of stitched together panels having reverted edges have heretofore been known. In applicants own prior Patent No. 3,004,538, such reverted edges are shown. However, in this patent the panels are of one way stretch elastic, and the edges are reverted so that the wales of the reverted portions extend angularly relative to the wales of the main body, so that the direction of elasticity is different, thus affording relatively inelastic reinforcing strips, tightly restrictive of the portion of the figure which such strips overlie.

Similarly in appli-cants own prior Patent No. 2,628,354, reinforcing strips of generally X-shape are shown as overlying the abdomen. The strips are, however, separate from and stitched interiorly of the garment. V-shaped separable reinforcing strips are disclosed in applicants prior Patent No. 3,121,428 as well as applicants Design Patent No. 195,259.

Summary The instant invention has as a primary object the provision of a girdle or panty girdle particularly suitable for slight figures requiring little support reinforced at those areas usually requiring supplemental support, comprised of opposed triangular upper and lower front panels, preferably, though not necessarily, formed of two way stretch elastic having their lower and upper edges, respectively, reverted, such edges being stitched to the oppositely reverted edges of triangular center panels, on each side, the apices of the center panels being in confronting relation, to define X-shaped front reinforcing strips.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a garment having opposed upper rear panels of substantially right triangular configuration with their apices inverted and stitched together along their confronting sides, the hypotenuse of each upper rear panel being reverted and stitched to a correspondingly diverging upper reverted edge of a lower rear panel, the reverted portions of the upper and lower rear panels defining a substantially 3,395,712 Patented Aug. 6, 1968 V-shaped rear reinforcing area extending over and below the buttocks to a point adjacent the coccyx, providing relatively firm support over and beneath the buttocks.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a garment wherein the reverted portion tapers in width from the center of the garment toward the sides, to provide maximum restraint over those areas apt to be most prominent.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of one form of garment embodying this inventive garment, as it appears on the wearer.

FIGURE 2 is a similar rear perspective view.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary front plan view of the crotch portion of the garment.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIGURE 3 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 6 is a front plan view of the garment in reversed position, or of the interior front side thereof.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a single element shown in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 88 of FIGURE 6 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along the line 99 of FIGURE 6 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

FIGURE 10 is a plan view taken from the inside of the garment of the constructional detail disclosed in FIG- URE 9.

Description of a preferred embodiment of the invention Having reference now to the drawings in detail wherein there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is generally indicated at a foundation garment, illustratively a panty girdle. The garment includes a conventional elasticized waist band 21 from which depends a front portion generally indicated at 22 and a rear portion generally indicated at 23.

A front center piece 24 is secured by waist band 21 and is formed with diverging arcuate outer edges 25 from which opposite arcuate bottom edge portions 26 curve upwardly to the center of the oval center opening 27. Center piece 24 is comprised of an inner inelastic piece 28 and an outer two way stretch elastic piece 29. Rows of stitching 30 surround opening 27 and seam the pieces together. An inverted loose portion 31 covers the outer front face of center piece 24.

Generally triangular upper front panels 35 are provided on opposite sides of center piece 24 and are sewed along their upper edges to waist band 21. The lower edges of each panel 35 are reverted as at 37 with the width of the reverted portions 37 tapering to a decreasing width from the center piece 24 towards the sides, the inner edges of each reverted portion being stitched to the center piece 24 by a line of stitching 36.

Triangular center front panels 40 are also provided, having their upper and lower edges reverted as at 41 and 42, respectively, the width of the reverted portions 41, 42 decreasing from the center towards the sides, with the reverted portions 41, 42 being secured to the panel 40 by lines of stitching 43 and 44, respectively. The lower edges of upper front panels 35 are firmly stitched to the upper edges of the center front panels 40 as at 45 along a downwardly inclined line conforming to the line of reversion so that a double width layer of double thickness material tapering increasingly in width from the sides to the center is provided on each side of the garment, extending to the central opening of the front center piece.

Lower front panels are also provided having downwardly and outwardly inclined upper reverted edges 51 secured to the panel 50 by stitching 52, the reverted portions increasing in width from the sides toward the center, the reverted edges 51 being secured along the line of reversion to the lower reverted edges 42 of panels 40, by heavy stitching 53.

The lines of stitching 53 are in substantially diagonal alignment with the lines of stitching 45, so that in effect an X-shaped area of double thickness two way stretch elastic is provided across the central abdominal area, the arms of the X decreasing in width towards the sides, and the center of the X being marked by the relatively inelastic :area of the front center piece 24. The lower portions of lower front panel 50 are extended to form leg members 54 having hemmed edges 55 which are secured to corresponding portions of a rear panel 23 to be described more fully hereinafter. A top reinforcing tab 56 depends and forms a part of front center piece 24 overlying reverted portions 52 and being secured therein by stitching 57. Hemmed edges 60 define an open crotch area, to the opposite sides of which are stitched as at 61 overlapping inelastic crotch closure member 62.

The side edges of panels 36, 40 and 50 all terminate in alignment to form substantially straight side edges which are hemmed as at 64 firmly secured by stitching 65 to rear portion 23. Opposite panels 50 are secured together along a front center line by stitching 67.

Garter members 68 of conventional design including elastic support strips 69 are secured to the inner ends of leg portion 54, beneath elastic disc 70 stitched peripherally as at 71, and transverse stitch lines 72.

Rear portion 23 is comprised of a pair of substantially triangular upper rear panels secured together along a center line 81 to form an inverted isosceles triangle, the apex of which terminates in the area of the coccyx. The edges forming the legs of the triangle extend upwardly outwardly and are reverted as at 82, the reverted portion decreasing in width toward the sides and being stitched to the panel 80 as at 83.

Lower rear panels 85 are also provided, having upper edges inclined upwardly and outwardly in conformity to the lower edges of panels 80, the edges being reverted as at 86 and stitched to the panel 85 as at 87, reverted edge portions 86 decreasing in width from the center towards the sides. The reverted edges of the opposite upper and lower rear panels are firmly secured together by stitching 88 to define a double thickness V-shaped rear reinforcing area overlying the major portion of the buttocks and having its central apex in the area adjacent the coccyx and beneath the buttocks.

The lower ends of reverted portions 86 are cut off square as at 89 and stitched to clear the open crotch portion defined by hem 90 aligned with the hem 60 of the corresponding area defined by panels 50. The lower portion 91 of lower rear panels are extended to define leg encircling portions which are hemmed as at 92 and firmly secured by double rows of stitching 93 to front hemmed portion 55. The bottoms of the legs defined by leg portions 54 and 91 may be elasticized as at 94 and provided with ornamental scalloped edges 95 or the like, if desired. The side edges of rear panels 80 and 85 are substantially straight and are firmly secured to the aligned side edges of the front panels 35, 40 and 50 by stitching 65 as previously described.

While there has herein been described in detail a panty girdle, it will be readily understood that girdles or the like are included in the purview of this inventive concept, and that while two way stretch elastic has also been described throughout, it is to be understood that one way stretch elastics in various combinations may be substituted in any selected area or areas.

What is claimed is:

1. A foundation garment including a front section comprised at least in part of elastic material having elastic reinforcing strips in substantially the form of an X on the inner side thereof adapted to overlie the abdomen, and a rear section having reinforcing strips in substantially the form of a V adapted to overlie the buttocks with the point of the V terminating in the region of the coccyx, said front section being comprised of a center piece and a plurality of opposite side panels, the panels on each side being substantially mirror images of those on the opposite side, the contacting edges of the panels on each side being reverted to define double thicknesses of material to form said reinforcing strips, said contacting edges being inclined relative to the vertical axis of the garment to define said X-shaped form.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein all of said panels are of two-way stretch elastic.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said plurality of panels include lower front and rear panels, having their inside edges connected together to define leg portions.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein an open crotch portion is provided.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said open crotch portion is normally closed by overlapping unsecured opposite crotch pieces of inelastic material.

6. A foundation garment including a front section comprised at least in part of elastic material having elastic reinforcing strips in substantially the form of an X on the inner side thereof adapted to overlie the abdomen, and a rear section having reinforcing strips in substantially the form of a V adapted to overlie the buttocks with the point of the V terminating in the region of the coccyx, said front section comprising a waist band, an inelastic front center piece secured in depending relation to said waist band, a pair of substantially triangular elastic upper front panels having their upper edges secured to said waist band and their inner edges secured to said center portion and having downwardly and inwardly inclined lower edges, said lower edges being reverted upwardly to form a double thickness of material, a pair of substantially triangular front center panels having downwardly and inwardly inclined upper edges and upwardly and inwardly inclined lower edges and having their apices extending inwardly and connected to said front piece, said upper edges of said front center panel being reverted and stitched to the lower edges of said upper front panels to form a double thickness of material adjacent said first mentioned double thickness of material, and lower front panels having upwardly and inwardly inclined upper edges, said upper edges of said lower panels being reverted to form a double thickness of material, the lower edges of said front center panels being reverted to form a double thickness of material, said lower edges of said front center panels and said upper edges of said lower front panels being connected together, the inner ends of said upper edges of said lower panels being connected to the bottom of said center piece, the connected lower edges of said upper front panels and the upper edge of said center front panel on each side of said center piece being aligned with the connected upper edge of said lower front panel and said lower edge of said center front panel on opposite sides of said center piece to form said substantially X- shaped form in double thickness material adapted to overlie and restrain the lower abdomen, the outside edges of the upper center and lower front panels on each side being in substantial alignment to form a straight edge, said rear section extending between said outside straight edges.

7. The structure of claim 6 wherein said rear section comprises a pair of substantially right angled triangular elastic panels having their apices depending and adapted to extend to the region of the coccyx of the wearer, the adjacent sides being secured together with the edge comprising the hypotenuse of each triangle being reverted to provide a double thickness of material, a pair of elastic lower panels secured together at the apices of the upper panels and having outwardly and upwardly inclined upper edges, said upper edges being reverted to provide a double thickness of elastic material secured to the reverted lower edges of said upper panels, said reverted edges defining said V-shaped form, the outer edges of said upper rear panels and said lower rear panels defining substantially straight side edges, said front section having elastic characteristics and extending between said side edges and adapted to overlie and restrain the abdomen of a wearer.

8. The structure of claim 7 wherein all of said panels are of two-way stretch elastic.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said front and rear lower panels are provided with inside edges connected to form leg portions.

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein an open crotch portion is provided at the upper juncture of said leg portions.

11. The structure of claim 10 wherein said open crotch portion is normally closed by overlapping unsecured opposite crotch pieces of inelastic material.

12. A foundation garment including a front section comprised at least in part of elastic material having elastic reinforcing strips in substantially the form of an X on the inner side thereof adapted to overlie the abdomen, and a rear section having reinforcing strips in substantially the form of a V adapted to overlie the buttocks with the point of the V terminating in the region of the coccyx, said rear section including a waist band, a pair of substantially right angled triangular elastic panels having their apices depending and adapted to extend to the region of the coccyx of the wearer, the adjacent sides being secured together with the edge comprising the hypotenuse of each triangle being reverted to provide a double thickness of material, a pair of elastic lower panels secured together at the apices of the upper panels and having outwardy and upwardy incined upper edges, said upper edges being reverted to provide a double thickness of elastic material secured to the reverted lower edges of said upper panels, said reverted edges defining said V-shaped form, the outer edges of said upper rear panels and said lower rear panels defining substantially straight side edges, said front section having elastic characteristics and extending between said side edges and adapted to overlie and restrain the abdomen of a wearer.

13. The structure of claim 12 wherein all of said reverted edges taper in width from the center towards the side of the garment decreasingly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,949,917 8/1960 Arcuri 128540 3,177,876 4/1965 Steiner 128--547 3,338,245 8/ 1967 Laguzzi 128-547 3,339,554 9/1967 Nobbs 128-548 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Eramimr. 

